K-Netizens Show Relief That ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Is Not a Disney Project Following Fan Art Circulation
A recent fan art piece giving the popular Netflix animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters a Disney-style makeover has stirred up quite a buzz online, especially among Korean netizens. The artwork reimagines the main characters in a classic 2D Disney animation style, reminiscent of the look found in the Mulan movies, blending K-pop visuals with that familiar nostalgic aesthetic.
The fan art quickly spread throughout online communities, sparking quite a heated debate. Many Korean viewers expressed relief that the film itself wasn’t a Disney production. This reaction largely stems from criticism of how Disney has historically portrayed Asian characters, especially male ones, which many fans found far from flattering or accurate.
Scrolling through comments, some netizens voiced their frustration openly about Disney’s style and character designs:
“Ugh, I hate it so much.”
“Disney usually designs female characters decently, but I seriously don’t understand why they make male characters look so repulsive. Is it just full of insecure men who go crazy when a male character is too handsome?”
“Wow, fk lol seriously.”
“Honestly, I really hate how Disney designs Asian characters.”
“Why did they do that to my Mystery Saja?”
“Honestly, this is true lol. If Disney made it, it would 100% look like this.”
“For real, all the Huntresses would’ve been styled like ‘Mulan’ with streaks in their hair lolol.”
“Ugh… fr, they really would’ve done that.”
“I like Disney movies, but I can’t even deny this lol.”
“I think the way Disney makes male characters ugly and only designs stereotypically pretty female characters shows a lot about their mindset. It’s gotten a bit better recently, but still… it’s honestly a relief this isn’t a Disney project. Regardless of the character design, I wonder if they could’ve even handled the theme and concept well.”
“Disney just perpetually sucks at designing male characters, seriously lolololol.”
“Even now, Rumi with the purple hair and Mira’s features kind of look like how Westerners imagine East Asians. But if Disney had done it, it would’ve been way worse lol.”
“Nah, Jinu probably would’ve looked like Li Shang from ‘Mulan.’ What they think a ‘hot Asian guy’ is. He’s cool in his own way, but not hot to us.”
“Thank you, Sony. lol.”
“Geez. Looking at this fan art, I’m glad it wasn’t produced by Disney.”
“It’s so annoying because Disney would’ve made it look like that.”
“I don’t know about Saja Boys, but I think HUNTR/X would’ve looked like that. lol.”
“Saja Boys looks horrific…”
“So ugly…”
These comments really highlight the mixed feelings fans have about the idea of Disney handling such a distinctly Korean pop cultural property. While the nostalgic Disney aesthetic can be charming, the concerns here suggest that fans would rather see native studios keep creative control, especially given the importance of authentic representation.
The fan art itself not only points out those worries but also shows fans’ affection for K-Pop Demon Hunters and their desire to see it portrayed in a way that respects the cultural vibe of the story without falling back on stereotypes. For now, it seems fans are just glad the real film isn’t Disney-flavored and hope it stays true to its roots.